Warm
by skyeward
Summary: Prompted by an anon who asked me (a really long time ago, I'm really sorry!) to continue Cold. This is almost definitely not what said anon had in mind, and for that I'm also sorry. But my muse vetoed cold-swapping and then…well, this was on my mind. For obvious reasons. Please don't ask me to explain any further.


(This is a sequel to Cold, but can stand on its own as well.)

Perched on the edge of Asami's mattress, the soft fluffiness attempting to swallow her again, Korra looked back at her sleeping lover with a sigh. There were times, she mused as she stood and stretched, when their synchronized hormones were absolutely wonderful. For example, a couple weeks ago when she'd dragged Asami into the bathroom at one of those stuffy society parties and ravished her half-blind.

Other times, like just a moment ago when she'd awoken to the strange and unpleasant sensation of being shoved nearly out of the bed by a sleeping girl who mumbled about her being 'too warm', were decidedly less pleasant. She had the bruises and the hurt feelings to show for it. Usually Asami loved the way she cuddled, saying it made her feel safe and loved to have her Korra - she never said 'the Avatar', for which Korra was profoundly grateful - wrapped around her like moss on a rock. That, of course, made it doubly painful when the black-haired girl first shoved her away, then proceeded to wrap herself up in the blankets like an egg pancake.

Korra sighed and rubbed her eyes to forestall any tears, turning to lay back down for a while longer. Then she shivered, suddenly freezing, and frowned.

She was a Water Tribe girl! She was _never_ cold, except when…she jumped up and darted for Asami's bathroom, silently grateful for the en-suite perks of dating a rich girl. A moment later, her irritated groan echoed through the master suite. She pilfered Asami's bathroom cabinets and _stomped_ back to bed, falling into the mattress with her arms still crossed and a furious scowl still twisting her face.

* * *

Asami woke with a groan, rolling over and reaching for Korra, only to find the Avatar curled up clear on the other side of the bed, at the very edge of the mattress.

"Why are you-" she started, but cut herself off as a hazy memory floated to the surface - it had felt like a dream, but…she'd been burning up, and it had seemed only sensible to shove away the overly-warm thing that had been clinging to her. Clearly it had been all too real, and she'd - rather brutally, if she recalled - shoved her notorious cuddlier of a girlfriend away. Guilt flushed her cheeks, especially since she'd awoken wrapped in every scrap of blanket on the bed.

She untangled herself carefully, hoping not to wake Korra a second time. She then scooted across the bed with the blankets in tow, cuddling up to Korra's back and draping the blankets over her shivering body. She glanced up at the window, where the curtains were limned in soft light, and sighed; it was nearly time to get up.

"Korra," she singsonged quietly, gently brushing hair from the darker girl's face, "Korra, it's almost time to get up…I thought kisses would be a better 'good morning' than the butler knocking…Korra?"

The other girl had curled even further into herself, turning her face into the mattress with a scowl.

"Oh, now you wanna cuddle with me? Earlier you couldn't get me away fast enough!" Her words were muffled, but clear enough - especially with the fresh bruise she'd just spotted on Korra's shoulder - to lance through Asami's heart. She kissed the bruise softly, glad when her love didn't pull away any more.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, her lips still against Korra's skin, "I was sleeping, I didn't mean it."

"Whatever," Korra growled, rolling over and off of the mattress. She landed in a crouch, then stood up and moved away, gathering her day clothes - she'd finally adapted to wearing pajamas - before disappearing into the bathroom.

Asami felt like she'd been punched in the chest. Korra had never, in the entire time they'd been lovers and even despite her (painfully adorable) body-shyness, gone into the other room to change. She rolled over again, her back to the room now, and started to cry into her pillow. She didn't turn back when Korra emerged, and only mumbled a half-hearted goodbye when she heard the familiar voice say something about training.

When the butler came to inform her it was time to get ready, Asami threw a book at the door.

She was taking the day off.

* * *

"Tenzin."

Pema's voice stopped her husband in mid-step. He was on his way to the girls' dormitory to fetch Korra - it was nearly time for training, and he hadn't so much as glimpsed his pupil that morning, although he'd heard her stomping around like an angry komodo rhino.

"Yes, dear?"

He waited until she drew level with him, intending to continue on with his wife on his arm, but her gentle head-shake stopped him.

"I think you should give Korra the day off," she said, a small smile curving her lips. He frowned.

"What for?" It wasn't a holiday, and Korra's recent behavior had not been so stellar that she deserved one - in fact, she'd been out of sorts and somewhat surly for nearly a week.

"Well," Pema started, and her smile was the kind that made him realize suddenly that he didn't actually want to know and should have just given in at the first suggestion, "It's a…female thing."

And there it was. Another aspect of raising girls that he didn't want to know about or deal with in any way, foisted off on him too early by the arrival of the Avatar at his once-peaceful temple. He sighed.

"I-" he coughed, his face red - and only getting redder at Pema's knowing smile, "Yes I suppose a day off might be the best thing to get her back into fighting form. You'll let her know for me, I'm sure?"

He suddenly wanted to be out of the girls' dormitory very, very badly.

"Of course, dear."

Anyone who thought Tenzin was in charge of his family had clearly never met his wife.

* * *

The next time Asami woke up, she was in a dreadful state. All the rolling over earlier had ruffled her usually sleek hair into a mass of tangles, her nose was stuffed and her eyes crusty from crying, and she felt as though someone had driven a Satomobile or ten back and forth over her midsection. She groaned and dragged herself out of bed, forcing herself to stand and walk despite the nearly overwhelming urge to just crawl to the bathroom.

A hot shower went quite a ways towards reviving the young heiress, and as she toweled off she pondered the possibility of getting at least a little work done in the afternoon.

"Well," she said to her reflection, "Maybe I should try getting dressed first. Let's see…"

She opened the bathroom cabinet and frowned. Some of her 'supplies' were missing. But who-

"Korra!"

She groaned, putting her head in her hands as the guilt crashed over her again. No wonder Korra had been so unpleasant earlier, when she'd tried to apologize. They'd been together long enough, she should have known Korra wouldn't be more than a day behind her…and had that occurred to her earlier, she wouldn't have let herself get so upset. Korra was always nastier than a boar-q-pine with a toothache from day one, and just needed extra cuddling and reassurance, which Asami had failed to provide on an epic scale.

"Now I feel even worse," she muttered to herself, "Way to go, Sato. Practically kick her out of bed and then cry when she's grumpy."

She pulled on her riding suit - she had a girlfriend to go make up with.

* * *

Air Temple Island was quiet for the moment. It was mid-afternoon, maybe, and the sun shone brightly through an open window, waking Korra from the fitful napping she'd been doing for most of the day. She'd spent so many nights nestled in the ridiculous plushness of Asami's bed that her own small, unpadded wooden platform seemed utterly inadequate. She couldn't even roll over properly…and she was cold.

Eventually she couldn't make herself stay in bed anymore - she was hungry, among other things. She got to her feet, still fully dressed; in her mind, pajamas were an at-Asami's-house thing. Food meant braving the presence of other people, but she'd just have to suck it up and- and there was a tray of lunch, sitting just outside her bedroom door. She could have kissed Pema at that precise moment, but instead she snatched the tray back inside and shut the door again, heedless of the fact that it was probably cold by now. Sitting on the floor, back against the wall, she began to eat…and to think.

And to feel like a jerk. An _enormous_ jerk.

She hung her head, her noodle-laden chopsticks sinking back into her bowl as well.

"Ugh," she groaned, angry at herself, "I'm a big stupid jerk and I acted like a big stupid jerk and I bet Asami hates me now!"

She tried to take another bite of food, but somehow she just couldn't do it. Her stomach churned, for more than one reason, and she gave up on eating as well - clearly she wasn't going to accomplish anything until she'd apologized for being a big stupid jerk.

She yanked the door open once more, and came face-to-face - well, not quite - with Pema, who smiled in that motherly fashion that either made Korra feel loved or guilty, depending on what she'd done that day.

"Feeling any better?" Pema asked.

"Uh, yeah, thanks…you know, for everything." Korra shuffled her feet, unable to meet the warm brown eyes. "Um," she started, hesitant, "Could I…could I ask you for some advice?"

"Of course, Korra!" The older woman smiled again, patting Korra's arm before taking it and steering her out, towards the kitchen, "Let's walk and talk…that needs to go back to the kitchen anyway, so just come with me. What's wrong?"

"I kinda…well, it's like this…I'm a big stupid jerk. And I need to fix it."

* * *

They both froze.

"Well," chuckled Pema, "This is unexpected…"

And then she gave Korra a gentle shove towards Asami before turning and disappearing back into the temple complex.

"Uh-"

"So-"

"Yeah…"

"I brought food!" Asami blurted, brandishing a large bag with an unfamiliar logo on it. "Water Tribe food!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I…" Asami shifted side-to-side a little, looking down, "I wanted to apologize, for pushing you away and…you know, for not realizing…"

"Me too," admitted the shorter girl, arms crossed and hands gripping her biceps tightly as she spoke, "I got upset when you pushed me away, and then I was a huge jerk, and then _I_ got mad at _you_ for being upset about it. That was stupid of me, and I'm sorry."

Asami stepped closer, nervously, and reached out with her free hand. Her face brightened considerably when Korra reached out to take it without hesitation, and she pulled a little, tugging her lover closer even as she stepped in as well. A soft brush of lips, and their worlds righted themselves once more.

They broke apart with a laugh only seconds later, when Korra's stomach rumbled quite audibly. It had been nearly two hours since her abortive attempt at a late lunch, and she was on the verge of starvation. Not that it had seemed important while she was making plans to make up with her girlfriend, but… Just then, a breeze from the water blew wonderful scents right in her direction, and her mouth watered embarrassingly.

"Let's go eat," Asami said with a teasing smile and another soft kiss.

"I know the perfect spot," Korra replied with a smile of her own, still holding her lover's hand.

Fingers still intertwined, they sat side-by-side on westernmost part of the temple roof, surrounded by empty food containers and love, and watched in silence as the sun lit the world on fire before slowly disappearing past the horizon.


End file.
